Elliott C
Instruments: Cello
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Electronic
Elliott C
Instruments: Cello
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Electronic
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 3-80
Master Degree: University of Tennessee Knoxville
Bachelor Degree: University of Ottawa Ontario
2018- Tennessee Cello Workshop Professional Division 2nd prize winner
2017- Tennessee Cello Workshop Professional Division 2nd prize winner
2017-University of Tennessee Graduate Teaching Assistantship
2013- University of Ottawa Academic Scholarship
Teaching cello is my favorite thing to do, and I am so happy to share cello with my students! I was born to two Suzuki cello teachers, Carey and Elliott Cheney, I grew up as a Suzuki cello student, and began to play cello at the age of 3.
I have studied performance with acclaimed cellists Colin Carr, Philippe Muller, Lawrence Lesser, and Eric Kim. I also have my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in cello performance from University of Ottawa, Canada with Paul Marleyn and University of Tennessee, Knoxville with Dr. Wesley Baldwin respectively.
I have performed as a soloist at the National Cello Institute in Los Angeles, the Chicago Suzuki Institute, the University of Ottawa in Ontario, and the Festival Los Cedros in Mexico City. I have also performed as the principal cellist of the Brevard Philarmonic in North Carolina.
I am an enthusiast for new music and crossover into other genres, and has collaborated in electroacoustic ensemble with DJ Spooky in a lecture performance at the University of Tennessee and studied jazz with bass professor Jon Hamar, also at UTK. I actively pursue performances outside of the classical tradition.
I have been teaching cello since high school, when I already had 15 years of experience playing the cello. I have taught consistently since then and along the way completed all of the units of Suzuki teacher training. I have studied how to teach with the renowned trainers David Evenchick, Jean Dexter, Pamela Devenport, Carey Cheney, and Avi Friedlander. I continue to study with other teacher trainers whenever possible to continue learning how to teach. I have taught children as young as 3 years old all the way to middle-aged students. I love teaching all ages! If the student is not yet doing homework, I ask parents to help with practicing at home, which is a great bonding activity. I am so happy to help learn how to practice and help children how to learn new skills in general.
I am very familiar with the Suzuki method for cello, so I generally work with those books and the Suzuki philosophy of nurturing students and being supportive of them. For young students, getting parents involved in the lessons is fun and super effective and getting to students to learn discipline and progress quickly on the instrument. I am also experienced in using the Essential Elements books and am happy to work with students through those materials. I am happy to work on solo, chamber and/or orchestral repertoire at any level.
I very much teach the student that is in front of me. I love to find whatever ways I can to engage my students and develop their love and passion for music. In my experience, if I get my students to love music, they work hard at it and progress very quickly. I also care deeply about fostering self-confidence in my students and helping them realize that they are capable of doing amazing things. Each lesson, students make so much progress, that in no time at all it is easy to look back and be amazed at the depth and breadth of the skills developed.
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